Continuous pulper and selector



Jan. 13, 1948. H. D. WELLS CONTINUOUS PULPER AND SELECTOR Filed Sept. 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i w .4 ,Q 5% i aw Y w L Y x a m.

Patented Jan. 13 1948 J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTINUOUS PULPER AND SELECTOR Harold Donald Wells, Glens Falls, N. Y.

Application September 20, 1943, Serial No. 503,120

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to machines for converting various kinds of paper-making materials into pulp and continuously discharging the pulp through a selector screen, the principal object being to provide a new and improved pulp-screening means which will pulsate the pulp as it is being screened and will, therefore, prevent screen clogging. 1

Another object is to provide the aforesaid screening means in the form of an attachment readily applicable to a pulping tank.

Yet another aim is to so relate the screening means with a rotary pulp heater and circulator, that the latter will circulate the pulp across the screen and the pulp will be pulsated as it flows across said screen, insuring efflcient screening without danger of screen clogging.

A still further object is the provision of a relatively simple and inexpensive construction which will be highly efllcient, reliable and long-lived.

With the foregoing in view, theinvention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompaning drawlngs.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through a pulper and selector constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the screening means, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a reduced side elevation showin the screening means mounted on the vertical side wall of the tank instead of upon the tank bottom as in the preceding views.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

A pulping tank 6 is shown mounted in an opening in a floor I, upon an appropriate framework 8, said tank 8 having a cylindrical side wall 9, a flat bottom l0, and a peripheral bottom portion l0 curving upwardly from said fiat bottom to said side wall. Mounted on a vertical axis directly over the central portion of the tank bottom ill, is a substantially conical, spirally-bladed beater and impeller comprising a pulp beating and circulating disk ll having vanes I2 to act upon the pulp and circulate the latter outwardly,

upwardfy, inwardly and downwardly, (in other words, vortically) as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The disk II is close to the bottom I0 and is mounted on a shaft l3 driven by an electric motor l4 and an appropriate belt drive l5, said shaft being mounted in an appropriate bearing structure [6.

Between the disk It and the curved bottom portion I ll, the bottom I0 is formed with a rectangular pulp discharge opening I l for which a screen I8 is provided. A continuous diaphragm I9 is'appropriately secured at 20 to the marginal portion of the screen l8 and projects outwardly from all edges of said screen, said diaphragm be-..

ing fluid-tightly clamped against the lower side of the bottom III, by means of a continuous laterally projecting attaching flange 2| on a pulp receiving and discharging casing 22 which is disposed under the tank 6. This casing is provided with a continuous side wall 23, the upper edge of which carries the flange 2!, the top of the casing being open. This casing is also provided with a bottom 24 secured to the lower edge of the continuous side wall 23. Cap screws or the like 25 securethe flange 2| to the bottom l0 and fluid-tight clamping of the casing 22 to the tank 6 is thus effected, the diaphragm l9 acting as a gasket and also establishing a yieldable connection between the screen" and the tank so that said screen may be vertically vibrated to pulsate the pulp circulating over it, thus facilitating screening and insuring against clogging. The selected pulp which passes through the screen 18 is received in the casing 22 and discharged through an appropriate outlet line 26.

Secured to the central longitudinal portion of the screen l8, near the ends of this screen, are two cylindrical, downwardly projecting bosses 21, said bosses preferably having flanges 28 welded or otherwise secured to the lower side of said screen. Directly opposite and alined with these bosses, there are two upwardly projecting bushings 29 which are welded or otherwise secured to the casing bottom 24. Elastic sleeves 30 of rubber or the like extend from the bosses 21 to the bushings 29 and are secured around said bosses and bushings by hose clamps or the like 3|. Within the sleeves 30 are two rods 32 whose upper ends are suitably secured at 33 to the bosses 21. The lower portions of these rods 32 pass slidably through the bushings 29 and are secured toyokes 34 which are vertically reciprocable by means of eccentrics 35 on a shaft 36 which is mounted in appropriate bearings 31 projecting downwardly from the casing bottom 24. As is customary with eccentrics, each eccentric 35 is rotatable within a block 39 which is horizontally reciprocable in the yoke 34.

For driving the shaft 99, a small electric motor 39 is mounted directly on the casing bottom 24 and is connected with said shaft by an appropriate belt drive 49.

It will be seen from the above that the screening means constitutes a compact unit carrying its own screen-vibrating means. and that said unit is readily attachable to a pulping tank. While in most views, this unit is shown secured to the tank bottom I, Fig. illustrates it mounted on the vertical wall 9 of the tank, upon a suitable outwardly bulged portion ll of said wall. It is also of course possible that the beating and circulating disk ll could be mounted at the inner side of the tank side wall 9 instead of directly over the bottom I 0.

Bundles or bales of paper-making materials, or loose batches of such materials, may be discharged into the tank 8 and with the two motors l4 and 39 operating, defibering, beating, brushing, scrubbing, color mixing, size and alum mixing, etc., may be continuously and rapidly performed. The eccentrics 35 of course rapidly reciprocate the rods 32 and as their strokes are very short, the motion imparted to the screen 9 may be considered as vibratory, with the result that the pulp being circulated across said screen, is rapidly pulsated which not only facilitates pulp selection but prevents screen clogging. As the rods 32 reciprocate, the elastic sleeves 30 oi course yield, and these sleeves in their association with the bosses 21 and bushings 29, seal the casing 22 against any escape of liquid around the rods.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferred features have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A pulper and selector comprising a pulping tank, a spirally-bladed beater and impeller mounted in said tank for beating the tank-contained stock and vortically circulating it, one of the walls of said tank having a vibratably mounted selector screen across which high-velocity stock is swept by said spirally-bladed beater and impeller, and means at the outer side of said selector screen for vibratorily actuating said screen while the stock is being vortically circulated and swept across said screen by said spirally bladed beater and impeller.

2. A pulper and selector comprising a pulping tank having a cylindrical side wall and a bottom peripherally inclined to said side wall, a substantially conical impeller and beater body mounted on a vertical axis directly over and in close relation with the central portion of said bottom, said conical body having spirally directed blades on its upper side and extending substantially from its center to its periphery for beating and vortically circulating the tank-contained stock, said bottom having a vibratably mounted selector screen across which high-velocity stock is swept by said spirally directed blades, said screen extending substantially from aid body to the inclined peripheral portion of said bottom and being substantially flush with the upper side of said bottom, and means at the outer side of said selector screen for vibratorily actuating said screen while the stock is being vortically circulated and skept across it by said spirally directed blades of said body.

HAROLD DONALD WELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATIENTS 

